Taking place on the first day of the Bengali New Year, the tradition of Mangal Shobhajatra began in 1989 when students, frustrated with having to live under military rule, wanted to bring people in the community hope for a better future.
A key element of the festival is the creation of masks and floats. Among works made for the festival, at least one will represent evil, another courage and strength and a third, peace.
Items to sell on the day are also produced as a source of funding, such as paintings on Bangladesh folk heritage.
The Mangal Shobhajatra festival symbolizes the pride the people of Bangladesh have in their folk heritage, as well as their strength and courage to fight against sinister forces, and their vindication of truth and justice.
It also represents solidarity and a shared value for democracy, uniting people irrespective of caste, creed, religion, gender, or age.
A country's cultural heritage is not only monuments and museums, but the living intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and expressions of culture inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants.
The importance of intangible cultural heritage lies in the cultural manifestation itself, in the knowledge and techniques that are passed on, revealing social and economic value for both people and the country.
The Unesco 2003 Convention acknowledges inclusive and community-based traditional and contemporary heritage, including oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, and the knowledge, skills and practices to perform these.
This process acknowledges the role of communities in safeguarding heritage and is concerned with processes and conditions rather than products, placing emphasis on a living heritage that is performed by people, often collectively, and communicated through living experiences.
Bangladesh ratified the convention in 2009, thereby demonstrating its commitment to establishing mechanisms for the promotion and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage and traditions within the country.
Bangladesh has inscribed four elements on the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: The traditional art of Shital Pati weaving of Sylhet (2017), Mangal Shobhajatra on Pahela Baishakh (2016), traditional art of Jamdani weaving (2013) and Baul songs (2008).
The inclusion of items on the Representative List signifies their value to local communities and the country of Bangladesh, but also to the world.
On this occasion of Bangla New Year, this a very opportune moment, to cherish and celebrate the living heritage of Bangladesh, including Mangal Shobhajatra on Pohela Boishakh.
Like Mangal Shobhajatra on Pohela Boishakh, as a form of living heritage, intangible cultural heritage evolves as we adapt our practices and traditions in response to our environments and contributes to giving us a sense of identity and continuity, providing a link from our past, through the present, and into our future.
The importance of Mangal Shobhajatra is hence not just about the festival itself, but the role it plays in evolving contemporary cultural practices that define the special character of Bangladesh as a nation.
Bangladesh is a land of rich cultural heritage. This is the time to ensure that its intangible cultural heritage can be safeguarded and transmitted from one generation to another, and can live and evolve to add value to people's lives.
I hope Bangladesh will continue to promote and safeguard its vibrant cultural heritage and deliver future generations a sense of identity and continuity, providing a link from our past, through the present, and into our future.
Unesco and Bangladesh completed their 50 years of successful partnership and we hope to continue this valuable partnership through promoting and safeguarding the magnificent living heritage of Bangladesh.
Unesco, as the mandated United Nations Agency specialized in culture, supports the government of Bangladesh in the safeguarding of Bangladesh's intangible cultural heritage through capacity building, technical assistance, and policy support.
Dr Susan Vize is Officer In Charge, Unesco Dhaka Office.
